Knife-adjusting mechanism for bark-removing machines.



T. W. SIMPSON. KNIFE ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR BARK' REMOVING MACHINES. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1912. 371. I Patel lted July 22,1913.

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. T. W. SIMPSON. KNIFE ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR BARK REMOVING MACHINES. v I APPLICATION FILED MAB.20, 1912. 1,0683% 0 Patented July 22, 1913.

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TED STATES TRACY w. snarson, or GRAND Barres,

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MICITIGAN, ASSIGNOR 01 ON E-HALF I TO GEORGE E. FOSTER, OF MELLEN, WISCONSIN, AND ONE-HALF PO VAN A. WALLIN.

OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Application filed March 20,

L t e P n Patented July 22, 191-3.

1912. Serial No. 685,016.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TRACY W.- SIMPSON, of Grand Rapids and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife-Adjusting Mechanism for Bark-Removing Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bark removing machines, and particularly to improved mechanism for gaging the depth of "cut of the bark removing knives.

In machines to which my invention is adaptable, the knife blades rest against the logs from which the bark is to be removed, and I shall show my invention applied to the machine disclosed in PatentNo. 1,017,655, granted February. 20, 1912, to Herbert L. Drake. In a machine of this patent, the knives are suspended from pivoted beams and rest against the logs, the beams being of sufficient weight to pressthe knives through the bark. It has been found in practice, however, that at certain times the weight will not be sufficient to force the knives entirely through the bark, and at other times the weight is too great and the knives will be forced into the body of the log. In the machine of the patent referred to, the blades are set at an angle with reference to the log axis, which angle is greaterthan the angle of pitch of the helical path of a point on the periphery of the log so that the bark besides being cut along the helical line is at the same time forced loose from the log. With such arrangement, if the knives are not forced entirely through the bark, the bark will be torn and will not be entirely removed. Again, if the blades are forced beyond the depth of the bark and into the log body, part of the log body will be forced ofij It is desirable to have the knives cut entirely through the bark at all points of the log, but not to cut any deeper.

One of the important objects of this invention is therefore to provide gaging mechanism in connection with the blades so that the depth of out can be regulated independently of the weight tending to force the blades through the bark, the weight acting" on the blades being sufficient at all times to force the blade entirely through the bark and the gage mechanism then taking up the weight and preventing too deep cutting by the blade.

Another object is to provide simple adjustingmechanism for the gaging mechanism so that the depth of cutting can be quickly and accurately regulated during the operation of the machine.

The various features of my inventionwill be thoroughly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which show the invention applied to a machine such as disclosed in the patent referredto.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is-a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof, and Fig.3 is an enlarged sectional view through the blade and gaging plate, to illustrate the operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the machine shown comprises a carriage or truck 19 mounted on wheels 11- engaging the rails 12 .of a track, the truck being adapted to reciprocate back'and forth on said track. At one side this truck mounts bearing standards 13 which journal a shaft 14 carrying support ing wheels 15, a wheel being at each end of the truck. At its opposite sidethe truck supports sets of bearin standards l6and 16 which journal a sha t 17, which between the standards 16 and 16 of each set carries a spur wheel 18. The spur wheels have key and slot connection with the shaft, so that the wheels are confined -to rotate with the shaft, but may have longitudinal movement with .reference thereto. Oneof the spur wheels 18 is opposite each of the supporting wheels 15, and these supporting wheels and spur wheels form between them a trough for receiving a log to be treated. The shaft 17 being rotated, the teeth or spurs 18' on spur Wheels 18 engage with the log and cause rotation thereof.

Adjacent one end of the track a stationary frame 19 is provided, whose rear section 19 extends upwardly and terminates in a bearing box 20 for j ournaling one end of the main drive shaft 21, the opposite end of this shaft being journaled at the top of the bearing standard 22 arranged adjacent the op posite end of the track. The shaft 17 before mentioned is below and in front of the shaft 21, and its left end journals on the frame 19, while its right end journals in the standard 23 at the right end of the track. Ad-

jacent the inside of the frame 19, shafts 21 and 17 carry gears 24: and 25 respectively which mesh with each other.

Adjacent the outside of the frame 19 the main shaft 21 carries the driving pulley 26 which may be connected by a belt with any suitable riving source. Adjacent the outer side of theshort shaft 34 is journaled. This shaft at.

its inner end is connected with the screw shaft 32 by universal coupling 35 of any suitable construction. The left end of the shaft 34 terminates in a bevel friction pinion 36 which is adapted for engagement with either one of the friction beveled drive gears 37 and 38 journaled on the sleeve 39 mounted on shaft 29. Secured to the outside of the frame 19 is the bracket 40 in which ivoted at its elbow is the bell crank adusting lever 43. The inner end of this lever forks over the sleeve 39, while the outer end of the lever is pivoted to a screw 44 which threads in asleeve 45 journaled in the bear ing extension 46 on bracket 40, the sleeve having a hand wheel 47. Upon turning of the hand wheel the bell crank lever will be swung correspondingly to cause shifting of the sleeve 39 and driving connection with the pinion 36 of either driving gear 37 or driving gear 38, the direction of rotation of the screw shaft 32 being thus adjustable. The screw shaft 32 threading through a lug or a nut 48 secured to the carriage 10, the carriage with the log supported thereon may be moved in either direction on the-track. As the carriage is moved over its track by the rotation of the screw shaft 32 the spur Wheels 18 rotating with shaft 17 will cause rotation of a log L supported on the spur wheels and the wheels 15.

On both the carriage and the log sup-' ported thereon is mounted the mechanism for removing the bark from the log. This mechanism consists of one or more sets, each comprising transverse scraping and helical cutting mechanism; The cutting mechanism of each set comprises a blade 53 carried at the front end of a frame 54 which is pivoted at its rear end to the shaft 21. Each frame comprises blocks 55 pivoted to the shaft 21, and from which extend the bars 56 which terminate at their front end in a head 57 As shown each knife has ex tending from its rear end a threaded stud s, and at its front end the blade is pivotally suspended from a bolt 58 passing upwardly through the head 57 and'secured by a nut 60, the blade being thus pivoted to the head 57.

Extending between the side bars 56 and secured thereto at an intermediate point is the cross piece 61 having a slot 62 through which extends the stud s of the blade to be engaged by the nut 63. The angularity of the knife withreference to the axis of the log can thus be regulated by swinging the blade about its front pivot and securing it in adjusted position by tightening of the nut 63. During cutting operation the blade rests on the log, the sharp edge of the blade cutting and penetrating the bark along a helical line. The log on the carrier, as has been explained, has combined bodily movement and axial rotary movement, and any point on the log will therefore describe a helix. The angle of pitch of this imaginary helix is preferably less than the angle at which the blade is set. 'With this arrangement not only will the bark be cut by the blade along a helical line, but the blade will act like a plow to exert lateral pressure against the helical band out from the bark, so that the helical band is loosened from and deflected away from the log body.

In the machine of the patent referred to the weight of the knife supporting frames 54 was depended upon to force the cutting edges of the blades through the bark. It has been found, however, that at some time, as where the bark is thicker, the weight would not be sufiicient to force the blades entirely through the bark, and at other points, as where the bark is thinner, the weight is too "great and the cutting edge would sink into the log body. In both cases, the proper cutting and removal of the bark is interfered with. However, in accordance with my invention, gaging mechanism is provided which will insure proper cutting and proper removal of the bark at all times. As shown, a gage plate is associated with each cutting blade, the plate being preferably suspended adjacent the blade to ride over the top of the bark so as to allow the cutting edge of the blade to cut entirely through the bark but no deeper, the weight of the knife supporting frames being made sufficiently great so that under all conditions it would be sufficient to force the cutting edge entirely through the bark. As soon as the cutting edge has passed through the bark, the gage plate will prevent deeper cutting and will take up the ex cess weight. The gage plate is preferably arranged to be vertically adjustable with reference to the blade to which it is applied and one way to accomplish-this is to provide diagonal slots 71 in the gage plate for receiving bolts 72 extending from the blade. With this arrangement longitudinal movement of the gage plate will effect vertical adjustment thereof, and adjustment of the distance between the lower edge of the plate to. readily effect longitudinal adjustment of the plate an adjusting lever 73 is provided for each plate and pivoted between the bars 56 of the knife supporting frame as plainly shown in Fig. 2. vThe lower end of the lever pivots to a link 74 which has loose pivotal connection with a link 75 extending from one end of the gage plate, so that when the lever 73 is swung the plate will be longitudinally moved and vertically adjusted on the blade with reference to the cutting edge thereof.

To lock the parts in adjusted position, the lever 73 has a grip 76 pivoted thereto for controlling the cooperation of a detent 77 with a notched segment 78 secured to the frame 54. In the arrangement described, the gage plate 70 can be quickly and accurately adjusted even during operation of the machine and the proper depth of cut by the knives is assured.

As in the patent referred to provision may be made for raising the knife supporting frames 54: and as shown cables 79 extend from the ends of the frames and pass about a drum 80 mounted on a shaft 81, this shaft carrying a sprocket wheel 82 adapted for connection by belt 83 with a driving sprocket wheel 84 on the main driving shaft 21. Also, as in the patent referred to, scraping chain belts 85 may be provided for scraping 03 some of the bark at either side of the knives.

I do not of course desire to be limited to the precise form of gaging mechanism which I have shown, as other constructions would also embody the broad feature of my invention.

I claim the following:

1. Ina bark removing machine, the combination of means for supporting a log, a knife supporting frame extending transversely of said log, a knife suspended from said supporting frame to engage with the bark on said log at an angle with its axis,

the weight of said supporting frame causing said knife to be forced through the bark,-

an abutment plate supported on said knife and having diagonal movement thereon, and

setting mechanism mounted on said supframe serving to force the knife blade into the bark, studs extending from said knife blade, an abutment plate having diagonal slots for receiving said studs and mechanism supported on said frame for effecting longitudinal shift of said abutment plate and thereby vertical adjustment thereof to control the depth of cut by said knife blade.

3. In a bark removing machine, the combination of members for supporting a log, a knife blade supported to engage with the bark on said log, and an abutment plate adjustable diagonally on said blade to be set to gage the depth of cut on said bark by said blade.

4. In a bark removing machine, the combination of means for supporting a log, a supporting frame, a knife blade pivoted at one end to said frame to be thereby adapted for lateral adjustment to any desired'angle with reference to the axis of the log, an abutment plate carried b said knife blade, and means carried by said supporting frame for effecting vertical adjustment of said plate on said blade to thereby adjust the depth of out by said knife,- such adjustment of the abutment plate being independent of the lateral adjustment of the blade.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of March, A. D. 1912.

' TRACY W. SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT,

tplate to effect diagonal movement 

